(No fly zone) Non fly caught fish pictures

[Poopdeck 0]

I took another picture of a fish. I thought this was going to be a personal best but after netting and getting him in the boat it turns out it was just a 2 pound fish wrapped up in 10 pounds of weeds. Was fishing a lake I haven't fished in 35 years. Rubber top water frogs across mats and mats of endless lily pads and other assorted weeds. I hooked a second but just couldn't get him out of the weeds and I had a third blow up but missed the frog. That was it for today but what a great day to get out on an old friend of a lake. Lots and lots of duck hunters out today so we stayed clear of a few coves.

 

[mikechell 0]

Looks like a healthy fish, even if it wasn't a saladless PB.

[Poopdeck 0]

Very healthy with a great shape. The lake was all but dead 35 years ago but they made it a big bass lake with special regulations and stocked it full of alewives whose population exploded. The bass and musky fishing has turned around and it's now a gem in SEPA. It is a very difficult lake to fish because of its size and depth but not because of a lack of fish and good size fish. With the river bass fishing in serious decline I may switch to this lake after the spring shad and striper runs are over. I will have to buy another boat since it's HP restricted or not sell the 9.9 I took off the back of my river boat. Decisions decisions. 

[mikechell 0]

You need to get a kayak with an electric motor on it.  I hear JSzymczyk loves that kind of set up !!!

[Poopdeck 0]

To big of a lake for electric. I'm really regretting selling my 16' utility V a couple years ago. I knew I should have kept it. Dang it! Actually contemplating building a bateau micro skiff to slap a 20 hp to. It would also make a great flats boat if I make a move to Florida. 

[Peartree 0]

A couple from tonight’s catch.  Bowfin are fun, but the big cats pull like nothing else.

[caloosa bug 0]

I’ve been fighting the snook fever the last couple weeks. With water flowing down the caloosahatchee, they have been stacking up in certain spots. Last weekend I landed 8 before finally getting a keeper over 28”. Even though he was crooked.
 I had the entire week off of work, burning up vacation before the end of the year. I got the honey-do’s done early in the week. Was supposed to leave Thursday for me and dad’s annual motorcycle trip, but the storm canceled that. We rescheduled for next week, so that meant back to work Thursday and Friday.

 Wednesday morning I planned on keeping an eye on the weather and doing some fishing in the wind and rain as long as the lightening stayed away. I woke up at 4:45 to see that storm had moved east. I watched the radar for 30 minutes and figured I might get some fishing in between rain bands. See blue dot in pics.
 Turned out to be a beautiful morning with only light sprinkles. Wind wasn’t an issue, even though it was howling, I was pretty sheltered by the lock and spillway structure. By 8:30 I had landed 4 and lost several more. Lost a big one in the rocks, right before the one in the video headed into a piling. I headed home triumphant 

Then I just couldn’t sit at home the rest of the day. I trailered the boat 15 miles back to catch a few more around lunchtime. Caught and released 2 more before calling it a successful day with minimal rain somehow. 

[Iroc_Jeff 0]

Landed this 44lb common two Saturdays ago. I broke my personal best 4 times this late summer/fall going from 26lb to 32.5lb to 33lb and now 44lb. Hoping to shoot for 50lb by Memorial Day next year. 

[mikechell 0]

The true exemplification of "PIG"!   If we had those down here, I'd be casting to them.

[caloosa bug 0]

Good for you Jeff. That’s awesome.

I’m using up vacation and have 2 weeks off. This week is the last week of snook season. Then next week will be switching gears for crappie that are moving in. But first, some fun time with the kids. A little dock fishing, then exploring and picking up shells, then a boat ride.  It was fun for all. 

[niveker 0]

Good looking troop there, Caloosa Bug, enjoy it while you can.  I miss those young, snotty nose days more than I thought I ever would.  

[mikechell 0]

2 hours ago, niveker said:

snotty nose days

That does look like she's pulling a big booger out!  😄 She'll LOVE you when you show that pic to her new boyfriend ... in her late teens, of course.

[caloosa bug 0]

Thanks guys.
Black Friday fishing. Started fishing at 6 am. By 8 I landed the 7th snook that was finally in the slot. Then it was all fun with the fly rod. 4 little snook on fly, a couple nice bass, then home by 11. It was a good day to say the least. 

[mikechell 0]

That looks like a fun fight!

[knotjoe 0]

A bit chilly (and windy) for a wet flyline in hand, so had to switch to spinning for a bit.  Signs of (hungry) life now and a few more days of decent warmth oughta give me the opportunity to find some more significant poundage.  All today’s fish ran smallish around this size, felt good to get the bites though.

Mostly on 1/12 oz dumbell (size 6) Slip ’N’ Fly which is my slip bobber bastardization of the float’n’fly technique for bass.  Couple on a Scraw which is a large sculpin helmut fly tied more like a craw pattern, some sling ‘em on flytackle, I think they’re perfectly heavy enough (1/10 oz?) for a conventional jig.  Awesome head for weedy bottoms as they just gliiiiiiide right over and through it all.  Trailer is Walmart auto chamois, RIT dyed.

Reckon it’s always some kind of flyfishing with me anymore, I’m up around 10 years into my non-plastisol fishing experiment.  Been humbling on gravel pit bass at times, yet always compelling.